Eternamente Imperfetto
by SukiChan12
Summary: *Set in New Moon* Thanks to an almost fateful drive down to La Push, Bella has found kinship in Leah Clearwater, a girl who understands all too well what she's going through. Their friendship has barely begun to bloom, but; thanks to an ill-fated encounter with figures from Bella's past, will their budding friendship be strong enough to last an eternity? (Fatally Flawed rewrite)
1. Chapter 1

**I've been meaning to start this for months now, since I took it down, and now I'm getting around to it since I've reached a stalemate in MOTH. May I present to you, the new and improved Fatally Flawed… or, it's new title; **_**Eternamente Imperfetto**_**. I'm going to try to provide more backing to the story, instead of going for flashbacks alone, which means more interaction between Leah and Bella before they became vampires. I want to start a little while after the 'Blank Page' period.**

**A few things that will be different; or the same, is that, while they'll still have the same powers; Bella's shields and control over Air, Fire, Water, Earth, and Spirit; as well as the ability to have babies, and Leah's control over Lightning, Telekinesis, and her third unstable ability; which I intend to shed more light on, they won't be Princesses.**

**The Princess thing was something the younger me wanted to have happen. I'm much older and more mature, and it's not happening again. I'm replacing it with a high ranking within the Guard. I'm thinking about having Bella be able to make other female vampires fertile, so that could work in Rose's favor, later on. No more immortal children; yay!**

**They'll also be following a traditional human diet when they become vampires, but they'll switch to animals later on in the story.**

**We're going to start at the beginning of chapter five of New Moon, when Mike tells Bella to take off, and then she'll go to La Push from there. We're going to run the risk and say that Leah is kind of civil with Jake, Embry, Quil, and; of course, Seth.**

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**Bella's POV**

"Alright, if you don't need me."

I let the sentence hang as I gathered up my things and headed out into the misting rain to my truck. I didn't bother to wait for an answer, my mind was elsewhere. As I numbly stuck my key in the ignition and started up my truck, I realized that I didn't want to go back home.

**(A/N: This next part is a particularly long passage from New Moon. I tried to cut it short, but the whole thing went hand in hand, and I couldn't leave any of it out.)**

_I didn't want to go back to Charlie's empty house. Last night had been particularly brutal, and I had no desire to revisit the scene of the suffering. Even after the pain had subsided enough for me to go to sleep, it wasn't over. Like I'd told Jessica after the movie, there was never any doubt that I would have nightmares._

_I always had nightmares now, every night. Not nightmares really, not in the plural, because it was always the _same _nightmare. You'd think I'd get bored after so many months, grow immune to it. But the dream never failed to horrify me, and only ended when I woke myself up with screaming. Charlie didn't come in to see what was wrong anymore, to make sure there was no intruder strangling me or something like that—he was used to it by now._

_My nightmare probably wouldn't even frighten someone else. Nothing jumped out and screamed, "Boo!" There were no zombies, no ghosts, no psychopaths. There was nothing, really. Only nothing. Just the endless maze of moss-covered trees, so quiet that the silence was an uncomfortable pressure against my eardrums. It was dark like dusk on a cloudy day, with only enough light to see that there was nothing to see. I hurried through the gloom without a path, always searching, searching, searching, getting more frantic as the time stretched on, trying to move faster, though the speed made me clumsy…._

_Then there would come the point in my dream—and I could feel it coming now, but could never seem to wake myself up before it hit—when I couldn't remember what it was that I was searching for. When I realized that there _was_ nothing to search for, and nothing to find. That there never had been anything more than just this empty, dreary wood, and there would never be anything more for me… nothing but nothing…_

(_New Moon_, pg. 122-123)

At this point, I was driving in a fog, not entirely sure of the way I was headed. My reoccurring nightmare had that kind of power over my thoughts—to just take all of my focus and place it elsewhere. The nightmare forced painful memories to resurface in my mind, and made tears burn at the rims of my eyelids; blurring my view of the road ahead.

_It'll be as if I never existed_.

Those _words_. I never knew it was possible to hate seven words as much as I did those seven, in their particular, torturous order. The gaping wound in my chest throbbed, and I could almost imagine the festering hole spreading a horrible, incurable infection throughout the rest of my body.

Two warm streams of salt water escaped my left eye, leaving a shining trail on my pale skin. I didn't bother to wipe them away, and felt them run down to the tip of my chin, where they fell carelessly onto my jeans. My vision blurred further as more tears built up, fighting for the chance to escape the burdensome rims of my lower eyelids.

I briefly wondered where I was headed, but couldn't find it in me to care. Recklessness, hm? _Why should I have to abide by this promise when you broke yours?_ I wondered, remembering that night as I lay in that hospital bed, battered and broken from my encounter with James…

"_Stay." The word slurred._

"_I will," he promised. His voice was beautiful, like a lullaby. "Like I said, as long as it makes you happy… as long as it's what's best for you."_

(_Twilight,_ pg. 479)

I didn't know how I could remember that; what with my brain being so addled with a mixture of drugs and the leftover pain wracking my body, but I did and it only made the pain worse. With numb, shaking hands, I pulled off of the road, put my truck in park, and leaned over the steering wheel, sobbing fitfully.

A soft knock on the window brought me out of my emotional fit, and I looked outside with puffy, bleary eyes, "huh?"

A tall, dark skinned girl; obviously Quileute, stood outside of my truck, watching me worriedly. She was beautiful; long, ebony hair down to her waist, large hazel eyes, and an oval shaped face, complete with full lips, a small nose, and arched black eye brows. Though she was on another end of the spectrum when it came to types of beauty, I knew this girl could give Rosalie a run for her money; even though their looks differed so greatly.

"Hey, are you alright?" She asked in a low, alto voice. Our eyes met, and; strangely enough, understanding lit her face… like she knew what I was going through. I unlocked the door and climbed out slowly, and she stepped back to give me room.

"Uh, hi," I murmured, blushing slightly, "I'm Bella."

"Charlie's daughter, huh?" She asked, and then smirked lightly, "I'm Leah Clearwater; nice to put a face to the name."

"Harry's your father?" I asked, surprised, and she nodded with a small laugh, "I look like my mother, if you're wondering about the lack of resemblance. What are you doing all the way down here in La Push?"

"I'm in La Push?" I looked around myself, noting the smaller houses and the dirt roads, "I didn't realize…"

"You parked in front of our house, and my mother saw you crying and sent me out here to investigate." Leah explained, "do you want to come in and refresh a little bit?"

"I wouldn't want to impose-"

"You were crying over a guy, weren't you?" I looked at Leah in surprise. Her hazel eyes looked darker, filled with a pain and heartache I knew well. She'd seen the same dark depths that I was now lost in, and she'd survived it. That made her admirable in my eyes.

"I know how it feels; let's just leave it at that." She told me softly, "Why don't you come in the house and wash your face and everything."

I nodded meekly and followed her across the sparse yard to the small two story home. She opened the door and let me in, "Mom?"

A woman nearly identical to Leah came out of the kitchen, drying a plate in her hands. She noticed me standing beside her daughter and smiled, "Hi, Bella, I'm Sue Clearwater; Harry's wife."

I could definitely tell that she was older than Leah, but she didn't look like it. There were a few laugh lines around her mouth, and the barest hint of a wrinkle at her hairline, but; other than that, she could've passed for Leah's twin. Her hair was up in a bun, but I could tell that it was very long, possibly longer than her daughter's

"Nice to meet you." I managed to say, trying; and failing, to form a smile on my lips. She frowned, "you poor thing; would you like to use the bathroom to freshen up?" Tears prickled at my eyelids; she reminded me so much of Esme. I could only nod; the knot in my throat kept me from speaking.

"It's right back that way, the first door behind the staircase."

I hurriedly followed her instructions and shut myself into the bathroom and grabbed onto the sink to steady myself as the tears began falling once again.

**Leah's POV**

"She's crying again," I murmured to my mother, and she frowned worriedly, "what's wrong with her?"

"I think she was the one who that Cullen hooked last year. You know they just left town." I replied, "She was in love with him."

Mom placed a hand on her hip, "You should be a therapist, you know. Your ability to pick out these traits is very impressive."

"I know because looking at her was like looking in mirror two years ago," I said stiffly, "she's a carbon copy of me when Sam left me."

_His_ name tasted vitriolic in my mouth, and I felt the urge to get some mouthwash and rinse out the horrid taste.

I was pretty much over it, but there were just some times where I wish I had the money to go to a college far from this Reservation—and from him—so I could leave it all in my past. It was bad enough that he dumped me flat on my ass, but then he had to end up with my cousin; who was like a sister to me, not even a month after. I'd never felt so betrayed and abandoned in my life.

Emily had the right to be happy; I couldn't begrudge her that… but did she have to find the happiness she deserved in the man _I_ love? I couldn't be mad at her for doing what she had to do to be happy, but it didn't make it any less painful for me.

A few weeks ago, Em came to me and asked me to be her maid of honor; she and Sam plan to get married this summer, and I had to tell her no. It was too soon for me to be able to sit through a ceremony celebrating their love with breaking down. I could take it in small doses, but that; she was asking too much of me.

Mom had been irritated with me for that, but Daddy understood; he always did. I love my mom dearly, but sometimes I feel like she'd rather have Emily for a daughter than me; hence the reason why I'm a more of a Daddy's girl.

Mom wanted some girly girl who liked to wear skirts, make up, and be on the cheer leading squad and dance team; like Emily. She wanted someone who was soft spoken, polite, and had manners; like, of course, Emily.

I; on the other hand, am _none_ of that. I'm brash, I can swear more than any sailor on the seas, I like wearing pants, playing football with the guys, and working on cars with Jacob, Quil, Embry, Paul; when I can stand him, and my little brother, Seth. The only person I would soften for was my brother and my father… and Sam; once upon a time, but that ship has sailed.

"Leah, how many times do I need to say this?" Mom asked, pressing her hand against her cheek, "Sam is with Emily now; you need to learn to live with it."

"Mom, I was making an observation about Bella, not confessing my '_undying love_' for Sam," I snapped irritably, "_you're_ the one who made it seem that way."

"I still don't understand why you couldn't do something nice for your cousin," _there_ she goes with the _maid of honor_ thing, "she's worked so hard that past two years to earn your forgiveness and you just throw all her effort back in her-"

"Emily _has_ a mom," I cut in, "she doesn't need a second one. You're _my_ mother, not _hers_, and yet you keep taking her side when _I'm_ the one who was hurt. I _have_ forgiven Emily for what she's done, but I'm just not ready to stand witness to their love. Maybe it would be easier for me if you didn't keep throwing the past in my face!"

"Don't blame this on me, Leah," Mom narrowed her eyes at me, "you're the one who won't let things go because of your petty jealousy over Emily's happiness and success in life. If you want what she has so badly, why not go find your own happiness and stop souring it for others?"

"I just said I _forgave_ her, Mom, and I'm still a jealous shrew?" I hissed, "You're such a bitch." I could see her preparing to slap me, but she came up short when a soft voice distracted us.

"I'm sorry; I'll leave now." Both of us looked up in surprise as timid Bella Swan scurried out of the bathroom, making a bee-line for the front door. I shot my mother a cold look and rushed to stand in front of the door, "Bella, I'm sorry about that; you don't have to leave."

"I'm interrupting you; I should just go." She all but whimpered, looking up at me with those sad, brown eyes of hers. She looked like she'd been dragged; emotionally, through the lowest level of Hell. Hell, she looked worse than _I_ did back during the dark days.

"Would you like to walk down to the beach with me?" I offered, "you look like you could use some fresh air."

"Ummm," she began to weigh her options, and then she nodded, "okay. I guess I could." I grabbed a pair of flip flops from beside the front door and put them on before leading the way out of the house. I could tell by the look on my mother's face that we weren't done, but didn't care anymore.

**Bella's POV**

I had to practically run to keep up with the exotic Quileute girl, because her legs were so much longer than mine, so one step for her was like three or four for me. Leah smiled apologetically as I stumbled for the millionth time and slowed her pace a bit. I caught up and came into stride with her, waiting for an explanation.

"I'm sorry about that," she apologized, "I just had to get out of that house. My mom and I… there's some kind of a language barrier between us. Every time I say something, she turns it into something totally different."

"My mother never really understood me either. We got along, but we were definitely two totally different people," I found myself saying in response, "it was kind of a role reversal. She was the carefree teenager, and I was the mom who made sure everything stayed afloat."

Leah frowned, "sounds like a mad house to me." I shrugged, "she worked and provided the money, but I did the bill paying, grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, and; depending on what job she currently had, did her work for her."

"I've never had to do that for my mom; thank the damn powers that be, but," she brushed a few strands of hair out of her face, "she doesn't _hear_ me. We just can't communicate. It's been like this since I was eleven, and it only got worse when I got with Sam; he was a bit too far outside of my age range, and even worse when he left me for Emily. At least you could share the damn air with your mom; I can barely manage that."

"You're probably too much alike and your personalities are clashing," I told her quietly, "or maybe she just doesn't want to listen to you."

"It feels that way. Even right after Sam dumped me, she was constantly blaming me for my own pain and suffering," her hazel eyes glistened with betrayal and hurt, "and when I found out he was with Emily and I cried over it, she just said I was jealous and congratulated them on their relationship. It was like _I_ was the cousin, and Emily was her daughter."

"I'm pouring my guts out, aren't I?" she asked, "I'm sorry; you're very easy to talk to and you listen so well. The only other person who listens to me like this is my Dad."

"It's fine, it's not like I have anyone to tell." I mumbled morosely, and Leah looked at me, "What? Why the hell not? You're such a sweet person."

_Can I really tell her this?_ Before I knew it, I was opening my mouth and saying, "After… after Edward and his family left town, I went into this—I'm not sure _what_ to call it—a state of shock; I guess, for a few months, and I lost what few friends I had at school. Some of them still talk to me, but barely."

"Well, they're not good friends," Leah said harshly, "they're dumbasses that don't deserve you."

"I'm the one who turned into an antisocial pariah," I protested, "They have every right to stop talking to me."

"If they really cared, they would've tried to reach out and help you, not leave you hanging." The Quileute girl muttered, "I consider myself lucky to have had my Dad; I never would've made it alone."

"The only one who's tried to reach out is Angela." I said, "But I never really listened to her because I was too focused on my pain. I've come out of the coma; somewhat, and I'm trying to reconnect, but I can't undo the damage from those months."

"The only thing that matters is that you're willing to try," Leah gave me a soft smile, and then furrowed her brow, "do you know the way back to Forks? Because it looks like you drove here blind."

"Uh, no, I really don't," A sheepish smile formed on my lips; the first real smile in months, "I was having a… an episode and I just drove."

"I'll ask my Dad for the keys to his truck so I can show you the way back to the 101. You think you can find your way from there?" Lean began leading the way back to the parking lot, to her house where my truck was still unceremoniously parked.

"I know the way back home from there-"

A group of rowdy teenage boys burst out of Leah's front door, barely dressed presentably. All of them wore shorts or cutoffs, and a t-shirt or wife beater, and some pair of sneakers or something similar. I couldn't help but smile because all four of them were so happy and carefree… unlike me. Something niggled at the back of my mind, but I ignored it and focused on the boys.

"Hey, Jake, Em, Quil, Seth; I'd like you to meet Bella. Jacob you should already know her." Leah introduced blithely. The smallest one, probably her brother, looked at me, "Bella? _Charlie's_ Bella?"

"Um, yes; I'm… Charlie's Bella." _God, it's like the First Beach trip all over again_. The kids smiled widely and walked over to me, "Nice to meet you. I'm Seth; Leah's kid brother."

"Oh, come off it, twerp," Leah said with a laugh, "stop trying to kiss her ass. I've got to help her get back to her side of the tracks, so we don't have long."

"Nice seeing you, Bella," Jake came over to me and gave me a warm hug, "you look good."

"Nice to see you, too, Jake," I squeezed him around the middle, "and I see you've been packing on the protein and calcium. What; is there a growth spurt virus going around the rez?"

"I guess so; even baby Seth has some small guns to show." Jacob, Quil, and Embry laughed as Seth flushed red under his russet skin tone.

"Oh, leave him alone," I chided gently, "he looks wonderful." Seth beamed, and I could hear Quil and Embry talking about him being a kiss-ass under their collective breath.

"Do you plan on coming back down to see these morons again?" Leah asked, though I had a feeling she wanted me down here for a different reason, "please say yes, because these dumb asses don't understand that a lone woman will eventual need another female to converse with. All these overgrown brats want to talk about is boobs and the size of their-"

"Leah, shut up!" Jake crossed his arms over his chest, and I could see a hint of red in the russet of his cheeks. Leah smirked at him, "what? It's not like I'm lying; Mister 5 and a half." His blush worsened, and I could hear the other boys quietly jeering at him.

"Alright, Bells, let me get the keys, and then we can go." Leah smiled innocently at me and ran into the house, leaving me with the boys.

"Bella, Bella, Bella," Quil; I think, sauntered towards me and; once he reached me, wrapped his long arm around my shoulder, "I do believe you've made our little group a bit more interesting. I'm Quil Ateara, and that giggling bone head back there is Embry."

"Takes one to know one, Ateara." Embry jogged over to us, took my hand, and kissed the back of it, "I'm Embry Call; at your service." I felt warmth in my cheeks as my blush took over my cheeks, "Uh-"

"Oh, God, I think I just threw up in my mouth," Leah's voice called out, "she's not territory to be marked, you overgrown puppies, so quit hiking up your damn legs on her." She climbed into the rusty blue pick-up truck in the dirt drive way and started it up. Before she could pull out; however, the four boys scrambled into the truck bed.

"Oh, for crying out loud," she griped, "can't I go any damn place without involuntary hitchhikers?"

I laughed as I headed over to my truck and climbed in, quickly putting the key in the ignition and turning on the engine. The Beast roared to life, and I waited for Leah to back out, laughing at the boys whooping loudly in the truck bed.

As Leah pulled past me, I pulled into her driveway to turn my truck around and followed her down the main road of the reservation, and out onto the open streets of Forks. I realized that I'd never felt even a twinge from the hole in my chest the entire time I'd been with Leah and the guys, and the thought of that just made me smile.

_Maybe I can move past the pain_.

That was the best I could hope for, because I knew that I'd never be able to fall out of love with Edward Cullen.

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**Please, please, please tell me that this was good. I hope that things didn't feel rushed with Bella and Leah. Oh my god, I'm just wondering why I didn't do this in the first place. This is way better than the flashback thing from last time. Guys, you know what to do. Constructive criticism, compliments, and suggestions only. Flames will be ignored. Hope you liked this.**

***running around with my head cut off***

**-SukiChan12^-^**


	2. Chapter 2

**At long last, chapter two. I'm not too sure this one will be as good as the first, and; if it's not, I promise to make the next ones as good as I can manage.**

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**Bella's POV**

_It'd been a week since Leah and I met, and now I was starting to spend more and more time down on the reservation, and less at home, where the memories could plague me. It felt so good to just forget about the hole in my chest; if only for a bit. My nightmares still ruled at night; though, and I still woke up screaming like an axe murderer was in my room. There were times where I wished that I'd never fallen in love with… with Edward, but after thinking that, I'd feel awful and regret thinking that way._

_When I got home after the first night, Charlie asked where I'd been, and when I told him, he'd smiled and told me that if going to the reservation made me look that good, then I was free to go; so long as I had nothing more important to do. I'd actually managed to give him a small smile before I headed up to my room for the night…_

Now, I was currently on my way to the reservation, traveling leisurely down the north land of Russell Avenue. As I passed the Cheneys' house, I happened to glance out of my window at the yard across the street from them, and my eyes lit up. There was a set of motorcycles set up in the yard, looking like they'd seen better days. There were four of them; to be exact, and I smiled as I pulled off of the road to investigate.

A sign was propped up against the mailbox, declaring the dilapidated bikes for sell, as is, and I climbed out of my warm cab, stepping into the misty afternoon. I made my way up the walk to the Markses' front door and rang the bell.

_Mmhm_, I thought to myself, _why should I stay true to my promise when you broke yours?_ I wondered, thinking of _him_. If _he_ could leave me at his choosing, then I had; have, the right to be as reckless and stupid as I want. It's only fair. My thoughts ceased as the door swung open. The younger Marks boy; the freshman, stood there, looking up at me from under sandy blonde hair.

"Bella Swan?" He asked, looking surprised at my presence. I ignored that, gesturing over my shoulder at the bikes, "how much do you want for the bikes?"

"You can't be serious," the boy frowned at me, "those things have run in ages."

"I am serious," I felt a small stirring of irritation forming in my belly, "how much?"

"Just take them," he rolled his eyes, "my mom made dad move them down closer to the road so that they'd get picked up with the garbage."

_That explains the yard clippings underneath them_, I mused, and then looked down at the kid, "are you positive about that?"

"Do you want to ask her?" He asked in the same tone, and I shook my head, _she'll probably tell Charlie about this_, "I'll take them all. Maybe I can scavenge parts or something."

"Those things aren't feathers, you know," the boy stepped out into the rain, "let me get them for you."

Once the bikes were loaded and tied down in the bed of my truck, he turned to me and frowned, "how are you going to get them fixed?"

"I have a buddy who'd love to take a crack at these bad boys," I told him confidently, "he likes to rebuild cars."

"Oh, well alright then. Glad you have a buddy." A relieved smile formed on his face, and he waved as I pulled off and headed down the road to La Push. Hm, friendly kid.

*in La Push*

When I pulled up to Jake's garage, he was already out there, drinking a; most likely, hot soda and watching Quil, Seth, and Embry brawl on the ground. Leah also watched, promising death to either of the older boys if Seth got so much as a scratch. Of course, all of this action stopped as soon as I pulled up, and a small smile formed on Leah's face as she rushed over to me.

"Hey, Bell; I thought you were going to play stranger or something," her warm arms wrapped around me and I hugged her back, "as if I could stay away. You guys are awesome."

"What've you got in the bed?" Seth asked, walking over to peek under the tarp I had over the truck bed. His hazel eyes popped wide and he looked over at Jacob, "come check this out, man!"

All of the boys swarmed around my truck, trying to see what it was, and Leah raised a brow at me, "what shiny new toy have you got under there. Is it one of those blow up porno dolls or something?"

"Leah," I squeaked, flushing deep crimson, "you—oh god, you're crazy. They're some old motorcycles I found on the side of the road for Jacob to try to fix. I need to sneak them past Billy," I subtly gestured towards the house, "so he won't tell Charlie. He'd kill me if he knew I was planning to ride one of those things."

"Alright, let's wheel them in the garage," my tall friend suggested, "Billy never goes in there because there's too much clutter for his chair to roll around. Your secret is safe with us."

I watched, awed, as the boys each single handedly carried the bikes into the garage and set them down. Jacob immediately began inspecting them closely, identifying which parts were missing, and Leah waltzed over to one of the bikes. It was a bit dingy, but I could tell that the paint was a lovely pale gold. I'm proud to say that I barely flinched at the slight reminder of what once was.

"I call dibs on this one." She said triumphantly, leaning against the bike. I looked over the bikes and found a dark, sapphire blue one, "I'll take this one." That left a black one; which Jake was looking over, and a small red one. Jacob smirked, "this one's mine."

"I'm not riding this puny tricycle." Embry snorted, looking at the last bike, "Seth can ride it since he's still on his training wheels." Quil and Embry shared a look before bursting into loud guffaws. Seth crossed his arms over his chest, smirking victoriously, "at least I _have_ a bike." That shut the two stooges up.

"Lucky for us," Jacob stood up, "I have most of the parts that we'll need right here, but there are a few expensive ones that I don't have." Leah shrugged, "how much is _expensive_, little boy Black?" I nodded, "I don't mind paying for the parts. It was my idea, after all."

"Hey now," Leah flipped her high ponytail, "you don't have to pay for them alone. I'll pay for mine and Seth's bikes, and you pay for the parts for yours and Jake's. Or we can put the money together and pay for them all."

"What about your college fund?" I asked, remorseful.

"What about yours?" she retorted, "it's been two years since I graduated high school. If I wasn't getting the hell out of dodge by then; what made you think I would be by now? I don't mind splurging a bit."

"Okay," I murmured, "how much are the part-"

"Seth, Leah?" at the sound of this new voice, Leah and Seth cringed.

"She couldn't have picked a worse time to come searching for us." Seth grumbled, "she'll probably gossip to mom about the bikes like she does about everything else."

"Our mom's closer to her niece than she is to her own children," Leah whispered as the footsteps approached, "it's a shame, isn't it? Another thing; don't stare at her face."

"Okay…?"

At that moment, a beautiful Quileute woman entered the garage and I nearly gasped at the sight of the dark red scars running down the right side of her face. She smiled in greeting, "Leah, Aunt Sue was looking for you. She wanted to know why you didn't go grocery shopping today."

"I had better things to do, I guess," Leah shrugged, and Emily heaved an exasperated sigh before looking at me, "you must be Charlie's daughter, Bella."

I nodded, "nice to meet you, Emily." Emily frowned at the bikes settled around the room, "who's motorcycles are these. Surely you boys aren't riding-"

"Oh, stop being such a mother hen. Jake sent Bella to pick up these rusty pieces of crap from a guy who's paying him to fix them." Leah snorted, "goodness, worrying is your specialty."

"Leah-"

"I forgave you, Em," the native woman said sharply, "I forgave you for something inevitable, but that doesn't mean everything's all rainbows and sunshine between us. I still don't like you. So you can stop trying to be all buddy-buddy with me; you might break into a sweat if you try any harder. Now run along and tattle to mom—because she basically is _your_ mom these days—about how mean I was to you. I really could care less."

"If you'd stop being such a spoilt brat, maybe you and Aunt Sue wouldn't fight so much," Emily snapped, "have you ever considered that you're being nothing but a selfish, conceited little brat?"

"So, the prim and proper princess has a backbone," Leah sneered, "I'm impressed." I could tell by the look in Leah's eye that things were about to escalate to a dangerous level, and started to leave the room. The boys had the same idea in mind, but Leah shook her head.

"You guys can stay," she murmured, her eyes never leaving Emily's face, "this show's free."

"I'm okay with the fact that you fell in love with Sam; I can see that you two belong together, and I'm starting to let that go," I winced as fire started blazing in Leah's eyes, "but it's another thing entirely when; according to my mother, I don't have the right to be upset over losing Sam because the happiness of her niece is _so_ much more important than the well-being of her own daughter. Just because I understood that you two were meant to be doesn't make losing him hurt any less."

"We all know you only care about yourself, Leah-"

"What about all the times I wanted to tell mom how well I was doing in school; or _anything_ in general, and she'd brush me aside to discuss wedding crap with you?" Seth demanded harshly, "Leah's right; mom's basically become your second mom."

"Seth, I-"

"Emily, that's enough." Leah said softly, "I'm done." With that, she pushed through the boys and left the garage, running towards the coast with bare feet, her dark hair flapping behind her like a flag in the wind. I sighed and looked at Emily, "Do you ever think that sometimes you might be stepping out of line? Because what you said to her was really out of line and under the belt."

Emily started to reply, but instead shook her head and made her own way out of the garage, headed; presumably, back to the Clearwater home, or maybe her own home. Seth smiled at me, "thanks for defending my sister." I nodded once, looking worriedly towards the beach. Without thinking, I left the boys in the garage, and started making my way towards the beach.

**Leah's POV**

I plopped down on the gritty, greyish brown sand; close by the surf, watching the cool water wash over my feet. My eyes burned with tears I refused to shed, and I hugged my knees to my chest, narrowing my eyes at the horizon. A few wisps of my hair waved in my face, and I brushed them away with a soft sniff.

"Leah?"

_What, do I have a sign on my back that says 'Confront Me and/or Bitch Me Out, Please'?_ I sighed and gathered my composure before turning to face my personal nightmare, "what is it, Sam?"

His dark eyes met my hazel ones, and he frowned, "you're upset." I nodded, "yeah; my cousin just bitched me out about being a selfish brat and not caring about others. I think I have the right to be upset. _At least this time_," I mumbled the last part begrudgingly, "nothing you should be worried about. I have to go."

"Lee-"

"_Don't_," I murmured, my voice shaking with pain, "please don't call me that. You can parade Emily around in front of me, tell me how much you love her more than you ever could me, and just flat out tell me how much better she is than me; because we _all_ know it's true, but just leave that… that _name_ out of it. I've been through enough."

I hated being so vulnerable; Sam always had a way of destroying my shields, tearing down my barriers and leaving me open and susceptible to the way I truly felt. It was so hard to be cold and hard around him; it was impossible, and I hated him for it… but it was impossible to hate the man that I loved, even to this very day. It hurt like hell that he just left me for my cousin in a matter of a _day_ after coming home from god knows where, but I'd always love him, even if he didn't love me back… and I hated myself for it.

"Leah, I'm sorry," Sam said softly, "I wish you could see that."

"I know," I replied, my voice small, "but I'm not—I can't see it, and I probably never will. You'll just have to accept that."

I know I said I forgave them both for what they did to me… but forgiveness is only the beginning, and there was still raw, upturned shit between us that little apologies and forgiveness could never hope to bury. It would take time; a lot of it, and that was something we didn't have.

"Leah, are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Bell," I said softly, smiling weakly at her, "how about this weekend we drive to Port Angeles to look for those parts?"

She watched curiously as Sam left the beach, and then looked at me, "was that-?" I nodded, "the bane of my existence and the love of my; and my cousin's, life. I can't even apply the second part to him anymore because his ring is on Emily's finger now."

"This hasn't been a good day, has it?" Bell said at last, offering a hug. I smiled and accepted the hug, "Yeah, at least I have you. Have your nightmares improved any?"

Bella flushed and looked down at her shoes, "… no…" I squeezed her around the middle, "in that case, come back to my house; I've got something for you that might just do the trick." With that, I grabbed her hand and began dragging her back to the house, giggling as she stumbled, "you know, I might have to teach you how to be more coordinated."

"How would you do that?"

"Easy," I replied as we stepped off of the sand and onto the pavement, "walking in a pair of medium to high heels for a few hours each day; until you're comfortably walking a good distance of five to ten feet without stumbling, is a good way to overcome clumsiness." Bella made a noise of protest, and I laughed quietly.

**(A/N: The heels thing worked for me; I don't know how it might work for someone else.)**

At last, we reached the house, and I quickly barged through the front door. Emily and mom were sitting on the couch in the living room, going over her wedding agenda over cups of hot tea. I ignored them both and dragged Bella up the stairs; I certainly wasn't in the mood to clash with those wedding Nazis.

"This is my room," I said, sweeping my arm out in a grand gesture, "redesigned it myself."

The walls of my room were pale blue with white painted wood accents. The curtains with sheer white, and the bedspread was an extremely pale yellow, almost the color of the sun at high noon. The pillows were an assortment of pastel colors; namely green, blue, yellow, and some lavender, and piled at the head of the queen sized bed in an orderly fashion. The carpet was dark blue; almost violet, setting a sharp contrast between the white floor boarders, the carpet, and the walls. The material was very soft, easy to sink your toes into.

My black vanity was set up against the wall across from my bed, complete with a matching stool. The thing I loved about it was that it was like a backstage vanity for performers, with lights framing the mirror. My work desk was across the room from the window, next to the door to the bathroom.

"Wow…" Bella took a seat on the hand carved wooden chest at the foot; with a cushion on top of the lid mind you, looking around in wonder, "have you ever considered being an interior designer?"

"That's what I wanted to study in college," I told her wistfully, "but Dad's health started declining, and mom's pay was cut, so I had to stay around here and work to help pay the bills and keep food on the table."

My mother peered in the doorway, "Leah, it's rude not to tell us you have a guest when you come home." I rolled my eyes, "and it's rude to berate your child in front of said guest. Can't have it both ways, mom."

"It's nice to see you again, Bella," Mom said stiffly, and then frowned at me, "we'll be having a talk later." I shrugged my shoulders, "whatever you say, mom. Now, if you'll excuse me," I stood up and grabbed the door in preparation to shut it in her face, "I have a guest to entertain, and you're being a distraction."

"We're not finished."

"Are those your new favorite words," I retorted, and then rolled my eyes, "on second thought, don't answer that." I slammed the door and locked it before flopping back on the bed, "where were we?"

"Leah, maybe you and your mom need to actually _talk_ things out instead of snubbing each other every chance you get." Bella chided, "maybe if you air it out, you wouldn't have this problem."

"I've every right to snub her," I retorted, "she's the one who's more than happy to replace me with Emily because Emily's less maintenance than I am."

"Enough about me," I waved a hand to cut her off, "your nightmares are the topic at hand here." I crawled to the head of my bed and snatched one of many dream catchers hanging on the wall above my bed. This one had a brown frame with purple, lavender, and white strings and white beads. The feathers hanging from it were pure white in color.

**(A/N: Don't know if the colors used to create dream catchers are symbolic in anyway, but feel free to let me know.)**

"Here you are," I placed the dream catcher in her hand, "there's a string attached to the top so you can hang it on your bed."

"It's beautiful. Thanks, Leah." Bella smiled gratefully, "I'll; hopefully, be able to catch my nightmares in it."

"They work better than you think," I said with a wink, and then grabbed a larger catcher off of the wall. The frame was made from the saltwater bleached driftwood on the beach, and the strings were a pure ivory with matching beads, greyish white feathers, and a few antiquated silver charms; shaped like hearts, stars, suns, and moons.

"My dad made me this one." I told her softly, "I've had it since before I could remember. Mom said he finished twining the string and tying the feathers the day before she went into labor."

"He's a real craftsman, that's for sure." Bella murmured, "did he teach you how to make them?" I nodded, "and I'm still learning a new trick every time. I haven't learned how to string the charms between the feathers like he did with mine, but with plenty of practice; I'll get it."

"Alright, it's getting dark. You better head on home, girly," I jumped off of the bed, "who knew we actually hung out for that long?"

"It's dark?" Bella looked out of the window, confused, "how about that?"

"Let's go back to the Blacks' so you can get your truck." I said with a laugh, leading her out of my room. She giggled quietly and followed me down the stairs.

**Bella's POV** *that night*

I came back into my bedroom, rubbing vigorously at my damp hair with a towel. I felt refreshed and rejuvenated after a lovely hot shower, and I was more than ready to try and get some peaceful sleep. As I entered the room, I spotted the dream catcher Leah made lying on my bed, the clear beads shimmering in the faint moon light and made my way over to it so I could hang it up on my bed. As I crossed the room, my foot caught on the edge of a loose floor board, and I pitched forward, landing halfway on my bed.

My face creased into a frown as I slid to my knees on the floor, trying to see which floorboard was loose. I spotted the floorboard at once, and started to push it back in place, but a flash of clear plastic under it caught my eye. Curious, I removed the board looked down into the hollow, trying to see what it was.

My breath caught in my throat.

There; in that little hollow under my floor board, laid the CD and the pictures from that ill-fated birthday party. Tears began dribbling down my numb cheeks as I removed the items and hugged them to my chest, and a soft sob escaped me. _All this time_, I thought, _all this time, and they were here; right under my nose… why would Ed- he leave them here for me to find?_

_Maybe… maybe he does care…_

* * *

**I hope you guys aren't too mad at me for making you wait. Next chapter features the trip to Port Angeles for the parts, and Bella's visit to the Cullen house. Hope you guys enjoyed this.**

**-SukiChan12^-^**


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